Dollywood Mountain Getaway

Smoky Mountain Christmas

Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Friday, November 13 - Sunday, November 15, 2026

Thank you for signing up to bring hope and Blue Skies to families at Dollywood!

Please read the information below - everything on this page is here to get you ready for camp!

WHAT TO KNOW

where

Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort

Address: 2525 DreamMore Way, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863

ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE

Volunteer arrival time: TBD

Volunteer departure time: TBD

COST

Prrice Per Room: $1800 minimum donation. Dollywood tickets are available for $60/person. Most rooms have bedding for up to 4 people. There are no rollaways available at this hotel. If you have more than 4 people serving in your family, please reach out to julie.h@whereskiesareblue.org about pricing.

Application Fee: $50 (non-refundable; covers background check)

Why is there a cost?

Every Blue Skies camp costs between $50,000 and $75,000 to make happen. Volunteer support typically funds about 25-50% of what it actually costs to host a retreat. If you know of a church, company, or individual who would be willing to help sponsor part of camp to bring hope, that would help immensely! We want families walking through pediatric cancer to experience camp completely free of charge—a place where they can rest, laugh, and reconnect. Your contribution helps make that possible. We work hard to keep volunteer costs as low as we can, and if you need help, we have a limited number of scholarships available. Just ask! If you are coming by yourself and need help finding a roommate to share the cost, let us know!

Fundraising Made Simple

We’ll send you an email with a link to your personal fundraising page and easy instructions to get started. Many volunteers share their page on social media or through email and letters as these are great ways to invite friends and family to join you in making a difference. Plus, it spreads the word about Blue Skies and the hope we bring to families.

Payment Details

Support is due one week before camp. (Check out our cancellation policy for details.)

The Impact of Your Volunteering

When you volunteer, you’re not just helping with meals or activities, you’re giving families a break from cancer. You’re creating space for laughter, rest, and joy during one of the hardest seasons of their lives. Parents get to breathe. Kids get to play. Families get to feel hope again.

Even if you can’t attend, you can still make an impact by sponsoring a volunteer or donating to send a family to camp. Every gift matters. Every act of service changes lives.

Local Volunteers

If you’re a local and live in the community where we host camp, we’d love your help too! You can join us for the week or help out at some of our activities. You’ll need to fill out an application with background check and references. And, we would sure appreciate your support in helping the children with cancer and their families attend at no cost. We can create a fundraising page for you! We ask that everyone who serves for the full camp raise or give $300/individual or $500/family.

SCHEDULE

FaceBOOK GrouP: JOIN TODAY!

Click here to join the Dollywood x Blue Skies official Facebook group that will be a great way to get to know one another and hear updates before camp starts!

GET YOUR CAMP T—SHIRT

Stay tuned for information about how to order your shirt for camp!

meals

We will have pizza together on our first night; for breakfast you will get a snack bag on arrival with breakfast bars. Feel free to bring yogurt, fruit, whatever you like from home or there are lots of options nearby. There is a small refrigerator in each room. You will receive gift card for lunch at a local fast food restaurant nearby the hotel or you can save it for another time and eat on your own in the park! Dinner will be on your own whether at Dollywood, in town, at the resort or delivery service.

The resort has a market pantry (https://www.dollywood.com/dreammore/dining/dm-pantry/) that sells Starbucks, ice cream, pizza, sandwiches/salads and other snack foods. They also sell their famous cinnamon bread in the market. There is a full service restaurant in the hotel along with one at the other hotel on property. Food delivery services also deliver to the resort.

travel

The nearest airport to Dollywood is Knoxville (TYS) Airport which is 25.7 miles away. Other nearby airports include Asheville (AVL) (61.7 miles).

what to pack

You won’t need much! Here are a few suggestions:

  • Comfy, casual clothes

  • We are celebrating Christmas in the Smokies on Friday night. Bring your favorite Christmas PJs, ugly Christmas sweater or Christmas costume (snowman, reindeer, movie character, etc.) to help us celebrate!

  • Remember to bring all of your family's routine medications like Advil, Tylenol, bandaids, etc. along with any prescription medications, medical supplies, and equipment.

  • Umbrella/Rain jacket (Dollywood is open rain or shine!)

  • A swimsuit if you’re up for a swim (There is a heated pool on site open until 10pm daily and an outdoor hot tub for those 16 and up open until 10pm daily! Woohoo!)

  • COMFORTABLE shoes for walking around the park on Saturday

  • Snacks, breakfast foods, refillable water bottle (you can take it into the park too!).

  • Backpack for park.

  • Warm clothes or jacket (dressing in layers helps) - in case we have a chilly weekend

  • Stroller or wagon for kids who may get tired! Strollers are available first come basis to rent at Dollywood - along with wheelchairs and electric scooters. (https://www.dollywood.com/themepark/guest-services/daily-rentals/)

guidelines

Please review our guidelines for volunteering at camp by clicking HERE. We ask all volunteers to abide by these guidelines to ensure we all have an incredible week together!

podcast

Click here to listen to stories from camp, other families facing pediatric cancer, and so much more from our first ever Blue Skies podcast series called, “Above The Clouds”.

Click here to hear Melinda’s heart behind the ministry and the hope Blue Skies brought to the Dryden family as they join Christy Nockels on her podcast!

volunteer manual

Click here to view our volunteer manual with lots of helpful information!

Guest family welcome letter

Click here to read a welcome from Melinda to our guest families to learn more about Blue Skies!

your role

Get ready for a weekend packed with fun! We’ll spend time connecting with our team and the families we are serving (this is your primary focus) to share with one another the hope and joy Jesus brings. You will be paired with a guest family as their Family Host to greet them at activities and help them have the best weekend ever!

housing

We will be staying at the beautiful DreamMore Resort. Each family will have their own room at the resort. Most rooms have a king bed and a set of bunks.

Cancellation Policy

If for some reason you are unable to attend once your application has been accepted, you are required to raise/give the full amount of volunteer support due OR find another volunteer/volunteer family (approved) to take your spot.

DREAMMORE RESORT

Our lodging will be in the stunning DreamMore Resort, surrounded by the changing fall leaves and mountain views! We will laugh, play, worship, and grow closer to one another just like at traditional summer camp!

smoky mountain christmas

Enjoy a holly, Dolly holiday season at Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas and get into the holiday spirit with heartwarming holiday shows, more than 6 million lights, and Christmas trees galore! Delicious holiday feasts and treats will await you during your time on award-winning rides! From worship and sharing hearts to family fun at Dollywood, it is sure to be the best weekend ever!